Georgia State Benefits for 100% Disabled Veterans
100% State Benefits – Georgia
Note: Information for this document was gathered from various sources including: https://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-state-benefits/georgia-state-veterans-benefits.html
Visit the Georgia Department of Veterans Services website for more detailed information: https://veterans.georgia.gov/
For Local Assistance:
GDVS Veterans Field Service Offices provide direct assistance to veterans. Veterans seeking assistance with their benefits can find contact information for their local office on our list of Veterans Field Service Offices.
The GDVS central office is located at:
Floyd Veterans Memorial Building
Suite E-970
Atlanta, Georgia 30334-4800
404-656-2300
Veterans Homes
For more information, visit: https://www.nasvh.org/state-homes/statedir.cfm
Your eligibility for State Veterans Homes is based on clinical need and setting availability.
Each State establishes eligibility and admission criteria for its homes.
Talk with a VA social worker about the eligibility requirements of State Veterans Homes near you and to figure out a plan for paying for State Veterans Home care services.
Veterans Homes Locations:
Admission is open to honorably discharged Georgia veterans with service during wartime.
A nominal daily fee is charged. Eligible veterans may apply for the federal Aid & Attendance benefit to help offset this fee. Veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 70% or higher or whose admission is due to a service-connected condition do not have to pay the fee, as this care and treatment is paid in full by VA.
State Veterans’ Cemeteries
For more detailed information visit: https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/state.asp?STATE=GA
National Veterans Cemeteries:
| Georgia National Cemetery 1080 Scott Hudgens Drive Canton, GA 30114 Burial Space: Open |
Phone: 770-479-9300 Fax: 770-479-9311 |
State Veterans Cemeteries:
| Georgia Department of Veterans Services GDVS Central Office Floyd Veterans Memorial Building, Suite E-970 Atlanta, GA 30334 VA Grant Funded: N/A |
Phone: 478-445-2544 Fax: 478-445-0828 |
| Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery – Glennville 8819 U.S. Highway 301 Glennville, GA 30427 VA Grant Funded: Yes |
Phone: 912-654-5398 Fax: 912-654-2963 |
| Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery – Milledgeville 2617 Vinson Highway Milledgeville, GA 31061 VA Grant Funded: Yes |
Phone: 478-445-3363 Fax: 478-445-3360 |
Many states have established state veterans cemeteries. Eligibility is like Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) national cemeteries but may include residency requirements. Even though they may have been established or improved with Government funds through VA’s Veterans Cemetery Grants Program, state veterans cemeteries are run solely by the states.
Georgia Veterans Financial Benefits
Exemption from Homestead Tax
Visit the following website for more information: https://veterans.georgia.gov/disabled-veteran-homestead-tax-exemption
Any qualifying disabled veteran may be granted an exemption of $50,000 plus an additional sum from paying property taxes for county, municipal, and school purposes.
The additional sum is determined according to an index rate set by United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The amount for 2020 is $98,492. The value of the property in excess of this exemption remains taxable.
Eligibility:
Honorably discharged Georgia veterans considered disabled by any of these criteria:
- VA-rated 100 percent permanent and totally disabled
- VA-rated less than 100 percent disabled but entitled as 100 percent rate due to unemployability
- Entitled to receive a statutory award from VA for:
- Loss or permanent loss of use of one or both feet
- Loss or permanent loss of use of one or both hands
- Loss of sight in one or both eyes
- Permanent impairment of both eyes *
- Surviving, un-remarried spouses of qualified deceased veterans
- Surviving minor children of qualified deceased veterans
Consult the local assessor’s office for detailed requirements regarding these exemptions.
Annual refiling is often required.
Find your local tax assessor at this link: https://www.publicrecords.onlinesearches.com/Assessor-and-Property-Tax-Records.htm
Ad Valorem Tax on Vehicles
No ad valorem tax on vehicles for permanently and totally disabled veterans or those getting VA disability for loss of vision or limbs.
This exemption applies to either the annual property tax or the title tax, whichever is applicable.
Eligibility:
- 100 percent totally and permanently service-connected disabled
- veterans rated unemployable who are receiving or who are entitled to receive statutory awards from VA for:
- (1) loss or permanent loss of use of one or both feet;
- (2) loss or permanent loss of use of one or both hands;
- (3) loss of sight in one or both eyes; or
- (4) permanent impairment of vision of both eyes to a prescribed degree.
The exemption is granted on ONLY one vehicle the veteran owns and upon which the free Disabled Veteran (DV) license plate is attached. Veterans who qualify for the Purple Heart or Medal of Honor specialty license plates are also exempt.
For more information on vehicle tax exemptions, contact your local County Tax Office.
Disabled Veteran License Plate
Visit the following website for more information: https://veterans.georgia.gov/license-plates-disabled-veteran
A motorcycle version of this plate is available.
Note: This license plate is not issued for motor homes.
Available to:
Honorably discharged Georgia veterans considered disabled by any of these criteria:
- VA-rated 100 percent totally disabled
- VA-rated less than 100 percent disabled but paid at the 100 percent rate due to unemployability
- Entitled to receive a statutory award from VA for:
- Loss or permanent loss of use of one or both feet
- Loss or permanent loss of use of one or both hands
- Loss of sight in one or both eyes
- Permanent impairment of both eyes *
How to Apply:
Qualified veterans who obtain a VA entitlement letter indicating the specific disability may apply directly with the Department of Revenue’s Special Tag Unit. Call 404-968-3880 for more information.
Alternatively, qualified veterans may obtain a certified statement from an authorized physician and take it to a GDVS Veterans Field Service Office along with discharge paperwork or proof of active-duty service and verification of residency.
Fees:
There is no registration fee, manufacturing fee, or annual fee for this plate.
Veterans with a 100 percent service-connected disability rating are exempt from ad valorem taxes on one vehicle. (See the Ad Valorem section above.)
If a Disabled Veteran license plate is properly displayed, the veteran is authorized to park in parking areas designated for persons with disabilities. (No additional parking permit is required.)
Sales Tax Exemption for Vehicle Purchase/Adaptation
A disabled veteran who receives a VA grant for the purchase and special adapting of a vehicle is exempt from paying the state sales tax on the vehicle (only on the original grant).
For more information on vehicle tax exemptions, contact your local County Tax Office.
Free Drivers License
For more information and access to the application, visit the following website: https://dds.georgia.gov/military-veterans-and-national-guard
Eligibility:
- Honorably discharged Georgia veterans can get a free drivers license. A member or former member of the National Guard with 20 or more years of creditable service also qualifies.
- Any member of the Georgia National Guard or Reserve who is in good standing and has completed at least one year of satisfactory service is eligible for a free National Guard Driver’s License.
- The spouse of a qualified veteran, whose disabilities preclude operating a motor vehicle, is eligible for a free honorary driver’s license. To qualify, a veteran must meet the same residence and qualifying service terms for a free veteran’s driver’s license. The surviving un-remarried spouse of an eligible deceased veteran is also eligible for a free honorary driver’s license. To qualify, you must meet the same residence and qualifying service terms for a free veteran’s driver’s license.
How to apply:
the applying veteran must take their DD Form 214 and proof of residency to a GDVS Veterans Field Service Office for verification.
The veteran must then take:
- completed Certificate of Eligibility (DS-516)
- all required identifying documents (birth certificate or passport; Social Security card; two documents showing residential address; and, if applicable, name change documentation)
Take Documents to a Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) office. A DDS representative will administer a vision exam, verify the veteran’s eligibility, and issue a veteran’s driver’s license.
No Fee License Plates and Special Category License Plates
Visit the following website for more information: https://dor.georgia.gov/motor-vehicles
Georgia offers multiple Veteran’s License Plates with no Registration fee, manufacturing fee, or annual fee. Applicants are entitled to a second plate for a manufacturing fee of $25 and an annual fee. Fees and eligibility differ for some of the plates listed below.
As far as I can tell, these plates DO NOT carry the handicapped parking designation and DO NOT require a physician’s statement.
A full list and eligibility requirements are available at the following website: https://veterans.georgia.gov/license-plates
Here is a brief list of the available plates:
- Veteran’s License Plate
- Woman Veteran’s License Plate
- Retired Military License Plate
- Commemorative Service License Plate
- Military Medal Award License Plate
- Reserve Component License Plate
- Special Category License Plates
- Chosin Reservoir Campaign of 1950 (Some additional fees included)
- Gold Star License Plate
- National Guard License Plate
- Pear Harbor Survivor License Plate
- Former Prisoner of War License Plate
Specialty veterans license plates are available for motorcycles as well.
To apply for any of these plates, it is necessary to complete Form MV-9W available at the following website: https://dor.georgia.gov/documents/forms
Keep in mind that many of these no fee plates are available to Surviving, unremarried spouses as well.
Parking for Disabled Veterans
If a Disabled Veteran license plate is properly displayed, the veteran is authorized to park in parking areas designated for persons with disabilities. (No additional parking permit is required.)
Georgia Veterans Employment Benefits
Veterans Employment Preference
More information is available at the following website: https://dol.georgia.gov/veterans-employment-rights
A 5-point credit is given to war veterans seeking state employment. A 10-point credit is given to those with a VA service-connected disability of 10% or more.
Business Certificate of Exemption
Georgia veterans are eligible for a certificate granting exemption from any occupation tax, administrative fee, or regulatory fee imposed by local governments for peddling, conducting a business, or practicing a profession or semi-profession for a period of ten years. This applies to veterans with a VA disability of at least 10% and an honorable discharge.
Veterans should contact the GDVS Atlanta field office to begin their application and provide a copy of their DD Form 214 and a VA “Summary of Benefits” letter. Once verified, veterans should take their application to their local County Probate Court Office. The County Probate Court Office will issue a notarized letter confirming eligibility and send the letter to the Secretary of State’s Office.
Firefighter Qualification
Military firefighter training is accepted as required basic training for full-time, part-time and volunteer firefighters, including airport firefighters.
Georgia Veteran Recreation Benefits
Hunting and Fishing Licenses for Permanently & Totally Disabled Veterans
Visit the following website for more information: https://georgiawildlife.com/licenses-permits-passes/disability
Veterans rated permanently and totally disabled by the VA or DOD are eligible for a discounted sportsman’s license.
Discounted disability hunting and fishing licenses are available to residents of Georgia. This license type cannot be obtained or renewed online—you will need to complete the application form and mail it with supporting documents to the address on the form. If you require application review accommodations, please call 1-800-366-2661.
Link to Application form: https://georgiawildlife.com/sites/default/files/wrd/pdf/license-applications/Disability%20License%20Application.pdf
Individuals are strongly encouraged to consider purchasing three-year disability license types, rather than annual types. Renewal of the annual license requires submitting documents each year dated with the past year to show continued disability, versus once for the three-year license. Payment of transaction fees each year for the annual license types means that persons pay an extra $6 over a three-year period—the three-year license will save $6 over the three year period and doesn’t require yearly paperwork.
Reduced State Park Admission Fees for Disabled Veterans
Disabled veterans who are Georgia residents AND present a Certificate of Eligibility card are entitled to a 25% discount on:
- Annual Park Passes
- Friends Memberships
- Individual accommodations
- Recreation fees such as mini-golf and boat rental, golf fees
- Historic site admission
When making online reservations, the full fee will be charged to your credit card. Upon check-in and presenting your Certificate of Eligibility card, you will be reimbursed for your discount.
To receive your Certificate of Eligibility card, visit your nearest Veteran Field Service Office with a copy of your DD Form 214 and disability-rating letter. A Field Service Officer will submit a VSO 22 form on your behalf. After approval, the Georgia Department of Veterans Service will mail you a Certificate of Eligibility card.
For more information, visit www.veterans.georgia.gov/field-offices
Additional Benefits
Motor Fuel Service for Disabled Veterans
When a gasoline station offers both full-service and self-service, a station employee shall, upon request, provide full-service at the self-service price to a disabled veteran, provided:
- the disabled veteran is driving a vehicle bearing Disabled Veteran license plates, and
- the disabled veteran is not accompanied by a person capable of pumping fuel (16 years or older and not disabled).
Vital Statistics
Veterans and their families may obtain copies of marriage, divorce, birth, and death documents without charge, provided the copies are to be used for establishing disability or death claims. For assistance, contact the Georgia Department of Public Health, Office of Vital Records: 404-679-4702 or https://dph.georgia.gov/
High School Diplomas for Certain War Veterans
A veteran who failed to receive a high school diploma due to an interruption of education by service in World War II, Korea, or Vietnam is eligible to obtain the diploma. Apply at the board of education of the school district where the veteran attended high school.
